Columbia Police continue efforts to make downtown safer as students return to the area

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Students will be returning to the Columbia area within the next month and things will start picking up in the downtown area.

The Columbia Police Department says. they are using all of their resources to continue making public safety a priority as there has been several shootings in the area since January that left eight people hurt.

Columbia Police Department Spokesperson Christian Tabek says stopping crime before it happens comes first.

"We are continually evaluating what measures we're taking and we are working to ensure you know public safety, making the most effective use multipliers of our forces," Tabek said.

Another way CPD plans to fight downtown crime is by using a temporary lighting system. But where the lights are placed varies.

Tabek says, "what kind of events or activities are going on and they do move depending on a given time, we'll probably see an increase in the use of the lighting as we get more people downtown."

The city is also working to put extra lighting in the area and making it permanent.

There will also be an increase in police presence on downtown streets, but that does come with it's challenges. CPD says right now they have 25 vacant spots on their force, but the good news is they currently have 10 cadets in the police academy and they will be ready to protect and serve.

"We will ensure there is an adequate amount of staffing downtown whenever there is larger events to promote public safety," Tabek said.

Tabek is encouraging that if someone sees something they should say something. If someone were to see anything suspicious not only downtown but on social media, they should call 3-1-1 to make CPD aware.